I remember the many questions I had, but didn’t like to ask, when friends got their first deals. I thought I might start a series of posts about the process of getting a debut novel from acceptance to the book shelf. Feel free to ask questions and I’ll do my best to answer.
Category: The Publishing Process
Eight Ways to Tricks Yourself into Writing
Most of us suffer with procrastinitis. In fact, I’d hazard a guess that you’re reading this blog for precisely that reason. Maybe you need to trick yourself into writing. Here’s my top tricks :
A Little Inspiration.
As regular readers know I’ve been slightly distracted by farm business in the shape of Strawberry Fox. Writing has slid to the back of my desk. Or it had, until things conspired to give me a kick and get me back to my Work In Progress. First was the arrival of Vivienne DaCosta at our…
The Upside of Being An Unpublished Writer
1. Comradeship with other UW’s 2. No deadlines except the ones you set yourself. 3. Ability to write whatever you like. 4. Intact golden dream of life after publication. 5. Urm…. Please add more, I need cheering up…
Stephen King, Back to Haunt Me.
I love the satisfying structure of circular stories. Wuthering Heights was my favourite book for years. Catherine and Hareton coming together at the end turns the book into one of hope. Out of all that ugliness, all that sorrow, come two people capable of kindness, strength, love. J K Rowling does a similar thing in…
The Idea’s Shop. ‘Where do your ideas come from’ and ‘why do writers eat so much cake?’.
‘Where do you get your ideas from?’ Asks Everyman. Mwah ha ha, we jest hilariously, ‘The Idea’s Shop.’ Idea’s Shop! Ha. What a ridiculous idea. Isn’t it?
Writer’s Tricks: Getting Started.
I knew this series was ambitious. Only my second post and I’m stuck – in more ways than one. I good few days ago I sent my current script to Lovely Agent. Until she sends it back asking what were you thinking? and have you entirely lost your marbles? (she won’t really say that, she’s far…
Writer’s Tricks: Getting into the Emotional Zone.
I am brewing over a new plot. This requires top level procrastination so I thought I’d start a new BLOG SERIES. Slightly ambitious maybe as I only have this weeks topic in mind – still, it’s a jolly good one! You know the feeling: you’re in a tippity top mood, the sun is shining, you’ve…
A Guide To Word Counts – 14+ ( that’s not the guide, that’s the target age)
I am fast approaching the end of the final edit of my current manuscript which, obviously, is turning me into a gibbering wreck. Is it too mad? Have I moved too much towards humour and too far from the original dark idea? Can I really keep chopping all these words out and still have a…
Word Counts
By Kathryn Evans Getting a feel for the right length of your novel is a puzzling thing. I know it shouldn’t matter – a story takes as long to be told as a story takes to be told BUT I do tend to obsess about it. I think I like guidelines – like to know…
